Conversion of cellular or fibrous material



June 29,1926. I

- I E. TAYLOR ET AL CONVERSION OF CELLULAR 0R manous MATERIAL Filed July 29, 1919 mum! II llllllll i I INVENTOR A-"dwar'd FCfiandZen Edwin 722 107.

TTORNEY am ssing; ea-111926; V

- mbas ies wwae was 'jprtsiasiio-ili smash of a substance; from one physicalistate" Ito T another; 'Thezinventionflpertains"more particularly to theeonversioni of; or anic mate rial fromwhat-might betel-me ,ithe' cellu- *lar or fibrous cond1tion. ,to: that'condition or state in which substantiallynosemblance of organized ,structure may' be; discerned, and

especially to the conversibnjof cellulose such as cotton to- Y a material {orsubstance which 1 described as havin substantially :1 thecharacterist cs of a'soli At present brous or cellular materi 'ma beffdis'solved in a cu'rocaminonium solution suchas Schweitze s'reagent,"prec1 1- tating [the cellulose from this solution y addingan acid and dilnting washing" the'gelatinousmaterial, so objtame to free it from all traces of metallic com- "'ound, consolidating ,the vmasssso obtained y pressure and a-moldi'n'g and'dryi'n the f material for various commercial uses. 7 25;

esses-of this order arenece'ssarily slow and expensive, the amount of solution constitu- 1 outs lost 1n the washing; is let and recovery isimpo'ssihle or 1e owing to thedilution.

l il io largely, if not entirely; overcome these accom I ess;

' lThe main objectfofl the invention t Further objectsas we'll iaaitheadvantages bi; ining will be, apparent to,.'those' versed in these-matters iiponreading the following specification inwhich one method of carry- 'ing ourfinventive idea into eflect is de- 'lscmbed.v H, a;

obviauay iaiiysitting when be employed."in' practising the' invention and any c s'uit'able ineans -mayibe,libsorted' to for lishing theseveral steps of the proc- ..'added to th is solutionto'a point of satura-. "tion, resultingn a various-amass. This mass is ,then pla'ced ins-siesta electrolyte with water roc- ne convenientandgpreferred method I of operatin ma-y befldes'cribed as follows:- ,Hyjdr'ate cupric -qxi'de is added to,con-- centrated ammonia until-fit ceases to di solve. Cotton or similar cellular material is TES PATENT OFFICE.

cmnnnn; or nnooxnymnnw Yonx, assrenons, u 13x unsn'nyassmmms, r0 ranon LABORATORIES me, or'nnw YORK, N. Y., A

meatscaucus on masons MATERIAL.

m, as, me. Serial No. 314,102.

rent. Cellulose, which we believe to be in the. form ofhydrate, begins to separateat once, being deposited on the positive'electrode' (anode) in substantially colorless films, flakes or layers of almost rubber-like consistency depending" on the current density, while simultaneously copper is. de' posited on-the negative or cathode. The

current may be passed at a high electrode density heating the bath to the boiling-point and driving-oil the ammonia, which is recovered in suitable condensing arrangements, or another source of heat may be employed to drive oil the ammonia. Both cops er a'nd' ammoma so obtained are imme-. 1ate ly avallable for conversion into fresh solut on, or other use.

. The solutions of cellulose preferably should be handled at all times in a highly concentrated state; This permits ofa maximum output from. a minimum sized plant. The electrolytic treatment removes all or substantially all of the solvent reagent, thus leaving the cellulose in especially pure form and a vantageous condition for use or further treatment. The solvent chemicals, copper and ammonia, are economically recovered and may be used to dissolve further cellulose, etc., for treatment.

The gelatinous deposit of cellulose so obtained is practically chemically pure and re uires no further washingor purification or many (purposes- The product is noncellular an non-fibrous in form and isreadily resoluble in cupro-ammonia or the ori inal solvent used, whereas the products 0%- tained by rior processes are scarcely resoluble in sue solvents. 'Our product is more soluble in on ro-a nmonia than the original fibrous or ce lular cellulose. We also find that the product substantially retains its original capabilit of being nitrated to form pyroxylene',=etc. ur product will withstand oicllisng in water for exceptionally long per10 v The cellulose while in this conditionissomewhat soluble in certain volatile solvents The col ulos'e may also bepartly deh'ydrated by heat and, with or without admixture of other materials, compacted by pressure and heating into sheets, blocks and moulded articles in rieral.

The material so obtained is highly resistant to'all chemical reagents, is exceed 7 ingly strong, resists weather and decay infrom time to time as the process is pursued.

The anode and cathode are preferably spaced about 6 inches apart and good results have been obtained using a current density of two-tenths of an ampere per square inch of anode surface.

' Having described one method of practicing the inventive idea it is to be understood that altho specific terms have been employed they have been used in the descriptive and generic sense and'not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the claims.

We claim 1. Themethod of converting an organic substance from a cellular state to a more dense material which consists in dissolving said substance in a suitable solvent and removing said substance from said solvent electrolytically.

2. The method of converting an organic substance from a cellular state to a more dense material which-consists in dissolvin said substance in a suitable electrolyte, and then energizing said electrolyte to release said substance In a converted state and depositing it electrolytically on an anode.

3. The method of converting an organic substance from a cellular state to a more dense material which consists in dissolving said substance in a suitable solvent and removing said substance from said solvent electrolytically, and also recovering the solvent constituents.

4. The method of converting an organic substance from a cellular state to a more dense material which consists in dissolving said substance in a suitable solventand collecting said substance from said solvent upon an electrode.

5. The process which consists in dissolvin cellulosic material and subjecting the so ution to electrolysis.

6. The process which consists in dissolving cellulosic material in a solvent thereof, and passing an electric current through the solution from an anode to a cathode whereby the cellulose is deposited on the anode.

7. The process which consists in dissolving cellulosic material in a metal salt solvent, and subjecting the solution to electro lysis betweenan anode and cathode, where-.

' the cathode.

10. The process which consists in dissolving cellulosic material in fibrous condition in' a solvent. thereof, and electrolyzin the solution between an anode and catho e, to deposit the cellulose on the anode and recoverin the solvent constituents or reuse.

11. Tdie process which consists in dissolving cellulosic material in a solvent thereof, and passing an electric current through the solution from an anode to a cathode whereby the cellulose is deposited on the anode, and recovering the solvent constituents forreuse.

12. The process which consists in dissolving cellulosic material in cupro-ammonia solution, and electrolyzing the solution be tween an anode and cathode, to deposit the cellulose on the anode and the copper on the cathode, and recoverin the deposited cop'-. per and the ammonia rom the solution forreuse. v

13. The method of producing cellulose consisting in passing an electric current throu h electrodes in contact with a cellulose e ectrolyte.

14. The method of removing solvent constituents from a solution of cellulose which consists 1n passing an electric current through the dissolved cellulose to remove solvent material therefrom electrolytically.

15. The method, of treating eelluloslc material which consists in dissolving the material in a solvent of cellulose and passin an. electric current through the dissolv cellulose to remove solvent constituents.

therefrom by the aid of electrolytic action.

16. The process of treating cellulosic materialwhich consists in dissolving the materialin solventtherefor containing a metal and subjecting the cellulose solution to electrolysis,toremovethe solvent metal from the cellulose electrol icallyr- 17. The new artic e of manufacture comprising substantially 1 pure cellulose having the characteristics that it is non-cellular and non-fibrous in form, is readily soluble in bein cupro-ammonia solution and is capable of nitrated' substantially as ordinary cellu ose. I

18. The new article of manufacture comprising a cellulose body having the characteristics that it is non-cellular and nonfibrous in form, and is readily soluble in cupro-ammonia solution.

19. The new article of manufacture comprising a cellulose body having the characteristics that it is non-cellular and'non-fibrous in form, and is readily solubleincupro ammonia solution and is capable of being nitrated substantiall as ordinary cellulose.

20. The new artic e of manufacture comprising cellulose deposited electrolytically rom a solution of cellulose and having the characteristics that it is non-cellular and non-fibrous in form, and is readily soluble in cupro-ammonia solution.

21. The new article of manufacture comprising cellulose deposited electrolytically.

from a solution of cellulose and having the characteristics that it is non-cellular and non-fibrous in form, and is readily soluble in on ro-ammonia solution and is capable of being nitrated substantially as ordinary cellulose. g

22. The method of removing metallic constituents from organic material which consists in passing an electrolytic current there-' through to removethe metal by electrolytic acti.-'

I 23. The method of removing metallic con stituents from cellulosic material which con EDWIN TAYLOR. EDWARD F. CHANDLER. 

